


Passive Manipulation

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: 7spells, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-07-17
Updated: 2007-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7504630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You tell them you sleepwalk - all around the castle sometimes, and they haven’t a single reason to doubt you because you’re hardly the type who’d lie."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Passive Manipulation

**Author's Note:**

> **Pairing:** Tom/Ginny  
>  **Warnings:** AU-ish. Mild angst.  
>  **A/N:** The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine.

It was Tom’s idea, initially.  
  
You tell them you sleepwalk - all around the castle sometimes, and they haven’t a single reason to doubt you because you’re hardly the type who’d lie.  
  
Or at least, you didn’t use to be.  
  
You were always such a _good_ girl, weren’t you?  
  
Not as blunt as Ron or as morally ambiguous as Percy, and nowhere near as mischievous as Fred and George, who are sure to drive your poor mother up the wall one of these days.  
  
Plus, obviously, you’re a _girl_ ; petite, dainty and full of freckles.  
  
Your Muggleborn classmates sometimes tell you you remind them of this heroine from a children’s book; a girl named Pippi who’s red-haired, fearless and who possesses incredible strength.  
  
You’re not too certain you’re all that much like her, though. In your heart of hearts, you’re not very self-confident, brave or quick witted; not in the way other people seem to think.  
  
Still, your dorm mates are convinced you sleepwalk, so for now, your secret’s safe and your plan – Tom’s plan, technically – appears to be working.  
  
You hope things will stay that way, and that you’ll also manage to keep hiding how scared and nervous you really are every time you need to lie, for all those deceptive words still don’t come very easily to you.  
  
When you take a step back and look at the current situation rationally, or in a way your mother would, you suppose that, being only eleven, you’re really far too young to be having midnight rendezvous with boys; especially an older boy who’s a Slytherin to boot.  
  
Mum probably wouldn’t approve, and no doubt dad would want to have a word with him as well.  
  
Still, Tom’s so handsome, and a perfect gentleman too. Your parents have nothing to worry about there. He hasn’t even made a move to kiss you yet.  
  
Though sometimes you wish he would.  
  
Sometimes you dream about you and him, running away together, like some scene from a fairy tale where he’s the charming prince and you’re his beautiful princess and the two of you will live happily ever after; far away from this dreary old place.  
  
You have no idea how your mum would react if she knew of those fantasies either, but you strongly suspect that feisty Pippi girl your friends talk about wouldn’t be very impressed with you. 

  
***  
  
Tom’s right on time.  
  
He always is.  
  
He waits for you in that hidden, long forgotten room on the third floor, where the two of you sit and talk for hours.  
  
That night, he tells you he knows of another room, one that’s been sealed off for absolutely ages. He wants to take you there. He’d like to show you something. “A surprise,” he says.  
  
Excited, you tell him you love surprises, and you’d be happy to go.  
  
Tom smiles in a way that’s not very kind, but definitely smug. It’s as if he already knows you’d gladly follow him anywhere…


End file.
